USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > History of Black Hawk County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 47
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Charles E. Pickett was born in Van Buren County, lowa, January 14, 1866. In 1872 he came to Black Hawk County and went on a farm for a short time. He was educated in the local and high schools and at the University of Iowa, graduating in 1888. He read law and was graduated from the law department of lowa and was admitted in 1890. The same year he formed a partnership
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with Charles W. Mullan. Politically he is a republican. His firm is now Pickett & Swisher.
John D. Liffring was born in Wisconsin, December 25, 1870. He came to Iowa with his father when he was five years old. He was admitted to the bar in 1898.
Alva B. Lovejoy was born September 1, 1867, in Mitcheli County, lowa. He was admitted in 1894. He removed from Osage to Waterloo in 1902.
Samuel B. Reed served as county attorney of Black Hawk for three suc- cessive terms. He was born in Ohio on May 6, 1856, and was admitted to the Iowa bar in 1884.
Sherman T. Mears was born in Earlville, Iowa, in 1864. He came to this county at the age of ten years. He practiced law at La Porte City until 1902, when he removed to Waterloo. He was admitted in 1892. He has held the office of county attorney.
John C. Gates was born in New York, February 16, 1838. He read law with Bagg & Allen of Waterloo, and was admitted in 1877. He formed a partnership with Lore Alford in 1881, which continued until the death of Mr. Alford.
Herman C. Hemenway was born in New York State, April 1, 1834, at Pots- damı. His father was Vashin Hemenway and his mother before her marriage was Eliae Goodman. When sixteen years of age he came to Freeport, Illinois, and there obtained an education in the common schools. He taught school for some time and read law with Meacham & Bailey at Freeport. He was admitted to the bar in Illinois in 1860 and began to practice his profession. In September, 1861, he removed to Iowa, locating at Independence, where he practiced, having been admitted to the Iowa bar that year. He served well in the Civil war and after the close of that struggle located at Cedar Falls, where he resumed the practice of his profession. In 1875 he was elected representative in the Six- teenth General Assembly and served one term, when in 1877 he was elected to the State Senate, serving in that body through the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth General Assemblies. He was a member of the school board and city council for many years. Mr. Hemenway is still living at Cedar Falls, although he has retired from active practice.
J. B. Newman came to Black Hawk County when he was ten years of age, in company with his parents. He was born in New York, December 20. 1870. He graduated from the high school at Cedar Falls in 1888 and from the law department of the University of Iowa in 1897. He began to practice at Cedar Falls in 1898, having been admitted the year before. He formed a partnership with W. A. Graham and at the end of one year removed to Waterloo, where he spent about two years, and then went back to Cedar Falls. In politics he is a republican. For a short period he was in partnership with Viggo Lyngby.
William H. McClure was born in Watertown, New York, May 5, 1829. 1Ie practiced his profession in Cedar Falls for over a half century, having removed here from New York in 1853. He read law with Haight & Chase of Rochester, New York, and was admitted in 1851. At the time of his death a few years ago he was the oldest living member of the Black Hawk County bar.
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Le Clair Martin, of Cedar Falls, was born November 29. 1870. He was admitted in 1896 and then associated with H. C. Hemenway. He is now a member of the firm of Martin & Turnipseed.
William II. Merner, of Cedar Falls, was born in Canada on March 30. 1868. He came to Cedar Falls with his parents when he was seven years old. He read law at Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was admitted in 1894. He was elected to the office of mayor in 1905.
M. B. Dougherty was born in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, February, 1844. He came to Iowa with his parents when ten years of age and settled in Bremer County. He read law with Ruddick & Avery of Waverly and was admitted in September. 1869. He began to practice with Avery in 1870 under the firm name of Avery, Dougherty & Gray. He has now retired from the practice.
James Jared Tolerton was born June 22. 1840, near Salem, Ohio, and was the son of Hill and Lucy Mary (Warner) Tolerton. During the early years of his life he resided on a farm in Ohio. His father's parents came to this country in 1806. They were of Scotch-Irish descent, and were Quakers. His mother was of New England stock, Vermont. He attended the common schools, a private seminary, and also took a course at Allegheny College, graduating in the class of 1864. He studied law in a private law office at New Lisbon, Columbiana County, Ohio, and spent some time preaching during his younger years. He was admitted to the bar the latter part of the year 1865. In July, 1866, he located at Cedar Falls and made that place his home until his death in recent years. He was elected judge of the District Court, but served only a few years when he resigned on account of ill-health. He was a member of the Masonic order, the Knights Templar, and was a republican. He was married June 12, 1866, to Margaret Taylor.
THE PRESENT BAR
Following is the list of lawyers who now compose the bar of Black Hawk County : Lore Alford, J. S. Barr, V. L. Belt, H. H. Bezold, W. N. Birdsall, W. H. Brunn, M. J. Butterfield, H. B. Boies, B. A. Brown, C. D. Cass, Courtright & Arbuckle, G. W. Dawson, Edwards, Longley, Ransier & Smith, Feely, Feely & Beem, W. T. Frame, Walter R. French, Gates & Liffring, George D. Harris, B. J. Howrey, W. P. Hoxie, J. E. Jordan, Walter P. Jensen, G. C. Kennedy, Frank P. Keane, Upton B. Kepford, James I. Kenyon, James T. Knapp, Leeper & Leeper, W. R. Law, E. H. McCoy, Mears & Lovejoy, F. S. Merriau, John H. Meyers, A. W. Mullan, J. C. Murtagh, W. B. McMurray, Pickett & Swisher, C. D. Pederson, Pike & Sias, P. H. Paulsen, C. J. Rudolph, Reed & Tuthill, A. G. Reid, Loren Risk, P. E. Ritz, J. E. Sedgwick, J. T. Sullivan, A. D. Sumner, Sager, Sweet & Edwards, H. E. Tullar, E. J. Wenner, Williams & Clark, Ellis E. Wilson, W. W. Woolley, Charles M. Young; the lawyers at Cedar Falls are M. B. Dougherty, Seward Higby, Martin & Turnipseed, J. B. Newman, William H. Merner and C. M. Parker; at La Porte City, Hager & Blough are practicing.
FIRST TERM OF DISTRICT COURT
Thomas S. Wilson, judge of the Second Judicial District of Iowa, he living in Dubuque, appointed June 27, 1854. as the date of opening court in Black
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Hawk County. This was done. A petit jury was impaneled consisting of Jesse Shimer, James Hampton, Thomas R. Points, Joseph Brown, Zimri Streeter, J. D. Dewey, William H. Virden, J. C. Hubbard and Myron Smith. No grand jury was summoned. The first case to come before the court was that of Mat- thew Bevard vs. John A. Dunham, attachment. In this case, D. 1 .. Deyo appeared a's attorney for the plaintiff, but it appears to have been settled and plaintiff's demand paid previous to the term of court and was ordered to be crossed off the docket. The second entry was the petition of Emeline Peterson vs. William Peterson for divorce, but the petitioner failed to appear and the suit was dis- continued at her cost. The other cases entered in this term were: G. W. Burton vs. L. D. C. Maggart, D. C. Overman vs. John Brooks, J. R. Pratt vs. William True, Henry Mellin vs. Covil & Butterfield. William H. McClure, a practicing attorney from New York, was admitted to the Iowa bar. The jury was dis- charged and the court adjourned after having been in session one day.
The second term of the District Court was held at Cedar Falls, March 26, 1855. T. S. Wilson was the presiding judge ; Martin Bailey, clerk; John Virden, sheriff ; and John Randall, prosecuting attorney. At this term the grand jury was impaneled as follows: Henry Sherman, foreman, Benjamin Knapp, Pleasant Morris, E. G. Young, John Wilson, Stephen Evans, Henry Gipe, M. S. Oxley, Jesse Shimer, Michael Bunting, William Fisher, C. H. Wilson, R. P. Speer, L. L. Pease and B. F. White. S. H. Packard, Jr., and Safford W. Rawson, of the State of New York, were admitted to the Iowa bar. The grand jury failed to bring in an indictment in the case of State vs. John M. Cowen for larceny, also State vs. Charles Brooks, Jr., William Campbell, Joseph Kinsell and Preston Herrington, and defendants were discharged in all these cases. Cowen came to this county with a bunch of horses for sale, and while here, it was alleged, broke into the store of B. J. Capwell & Company and stole a shot bag filled with silver and a beaded purse with a number of bank notes. He was held to bail for the crime, deposited the amount himself, and left the county.
The first indictment brought by the grand jury was against Hamilton Acres, for seduction. However, the case was afterward dropped. Martin Bailey, clerk of the court, was appointed a general commissioner to take depositions in all cases pertaining to the business of the court, to report at next terin.
The first declaration of intention to become a citizen of the United States was made by Grunder Osmon, a native of Norway, on May 31, 1855. Walter McNally entered his intentions at the same time. The first naturalization papers were issued to Andrew H. Kennedy of Scotland.
The term of court beginning in September, 1855, was held at Waterloo, the new county seat, in Capwell's Hall. The hall not being finished, the seats con- sisted of boards placed across barrels. William M. Newton, J. O. Williams and W. L. Christie were admitted to practice and B. E. Baker was admitted to the bar after examination by I. S. Woodward and F. H. Webster.
THE CIRCUIT COURT
The General Assembly of Iowa passed an act April 3. 1868, to establish circuit and general term courts. Each judicial district in the state was divided into two circuits and the office of circuit judge was created to be elected at the
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general election in November. 1868, for a term of four years. Circuit courts were given complete power over all probate matter and all actions and proceedings in which county judges had had previous jurisdiction, and also in all appeals and writs of error from justices' courts, mayors' courts and all other inferior tribunals, either in civil or criminal cases, and concurrent jurisdiction with the District Court in foreclosures, etc. The counties of Buchanan, Black Hawk and Grundy were constituted the Second Circuit of the Ninth Judicial District; and terms were established in Black Hawk on the first Monday in February, fourth Monday in June, first Monday in October and fifth Monday in November for the year 1869. The first term of the Circuit Court in Black Hawk County was held at the courthouse February 1, 1869; present, Sylvester Bagg, judge, presiding ; W. F. Brown, sheriff, and G. A. Eberhart, clerk.
The office of county judge was abolished, but that officer became ex officio county auditor. The office of auditor was provided for on April 7. 1868, it being a two-year office.
EARLY BENCH AND BAR By H. B. Allen
In March, 1857, the writer, then about twenty-four years of age, came to Waterloo, Iowa, to remain.
At that time the Black Hawk County Bar consisted of John Randall. J. O. Williams, James S. George, W. H. Curtis, S. W. Rawson, S. P. Brainard, Wil- liam N. Newton, C. D. Gray and J. E. Baker of Waterloo: W. H. McClure, S. H. Packard and A. F. Brown of Cedar Falls, and George Bishop of La Porte City.
The Third Judicial District of Iowa comprised the counties of Dubuque, Delaware, Buchanan, Black Hawk and Grundy. Hon. Thomas S. Wilson of Du- buque was judge, and Winslow T. Barker of the same place was district attorney. Hon. J. C. Hubbard was county judge, having jurisdiction of probate matters, highways and the fiscal affairs of the county. J. B. Severance, whose daughter became the wife of the late George W. Miller, was clerk of the county and District courts ; B. F. Thomas was sheriff and P. E. Fowler was deputy.
At the time the courthouse, facing the Cedar River on the east side between Tenth and Eleventh streets, was in process of completion by the contractor, G. M. Tinker. The April, 1857, term of the District Court was held in Capwell's Hall on the west side of the river. The September term following was held in the new courthouse. J. B. Severance as county clerk succeeded J. H. Brooks, who, it was said, carried the county and court records and files in his hat, from which they were formally and duly transferred to their appropriate places in the new courthouse.
On my arrival in Waterloo I secured for an office the small rear room over Hammond & Leavitt's Bank, located on or near the place now occupied by the Leavitt & Johnson Trust Company. Though the youngest and newest member of the Black Hawk County Bar. I did not wait long for clients and business. There were only two terms of the District Court in each year. The length of each session depended not so much on the amount of business, as upon the con- clition of the roads in the spring from Dubuque where Judge Wilson lived, and the length of the prairie chicken season in the fall. The judge was a good shot and
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more enjoyed the trail of his chicken dog, which always accompanied him, than he did dispensing justice. This, with the long time that elapsed between terms, tended to increase the business in the justice courts, which when the county was sparsely settled, was much greater than in after years when the population had more than doubled and the District Court sessions were held three and four times a year.
In April or May, 1857, Sylvester Bagg of Elyria, Ohio, came to Waterloo to engage in the practice of law. He brought with him his family, his pet horse, "Old Pete," a large and valuable law library, office furniture, an enviable repu- tation as a successful lawyer, a character for sterling integrity, and a fund of anecdotes, and was also possessed of an attractive presence and social affability. Soon thereafter the partnership of Bagg & Allen was formed for the practice of the law, and on the ist of July, 1857, under the firm name of Bagg & Allen, the partners began business. Their office was over Raymond Bros.' grocery store in the Elwell building on the corner of Fourth and Commercial streets. The part- nership lasted for about ten years, three years of which, from the spring of 1863 to that of 1866, Mr. Bagg spent in the Civil war as post quartermaster with head- quarters at Sioux City, Iowa.
During these ten years there were but comparatively few accessions to the bar membership. John Randall, Newton & Brainard, Gray & Baker, S. W. Rawson and A. F. Brown were among the number that sought elsewhere more profitable and inviting fields. It was said that J. O. Williams joined the ranks of the Confederate army and died on one of its battlefields.
Col. I. M. Preston of Linn County, Winslow T. Barker and B. W. Poor of Dubuque might be properly considered members of the Black Hawk County Bar at this time, as they attended the court sessions regularly and took part in the trial of many important cases, chiefly as assistants to the various local members of the bar.
At Cedar Falls. J. B. Powers, H. C. Hemenway, J. J. Tolerton, Judge Chap- man and the verbose and explosive Darius Allen, and at Waterloo, Lewis Lichty, G. W. Howard, Truman L. Bowman, Mr. Holman, Orrin Miller, O. C. Miller and H. H. Bezold were added to the bar membership.
Of the law students who were admitted to the bar of Black Hawk County during this time, C. P. Goodwin, Cyrus Watts and Albert Trask soon left Water- loo to seek other fields of usefulness. O. C. Miller remained to become a men- ber of the firm of Bagg, Allen & Miller, Carl F. Couch to become a partner of the firm of Boies, Allen & Couch and H. H. Bezold to "go it alone."
Early in the spring of 1867, the firm of Bagg, Allen & Miller dissolved, H. B. Allen withdrawing therefrom and leaving the firm of Bagg & Miller to continue the business, they retaining the office in the Buechley Block on the corner of Bridge and Commercial streets to which H. B. Allen had removed when Mr. Bagg left for the army in 1863.
Some time after the dissolution of the firm of Bagg. Allen & Miller, Horace Boies of Buffalo, New York, came to Waterloo to engage in the practice, and formed a partnership with H. B. Allen under the name of Boies & Allen. Boies & Allen continued the practice of law together for about ten years, with what success the records of the courts of Black Hawk County and five or six of the surrounding counties will show. During this period of ten years the bar was
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reenforced by the addition of Gen. M. M. Trumbull, Charles W. Mullan, J. C. Elwell, Cato Sells, Lore Alford, George Ordway, Orrin Miller, J. H. Preston, H. H. Bezold, J. L. Husted and C. F. Couch, who was a student with H. B. Allen when the firm of Boies & Allen was formed, and also by Buren Sherman of La Porte City.
Among the lawyers and firms that during this ten-year period were prominent at the bar in point of successful and extensive practice were Powers & Hemen- way. Preston & Miller, Charles W. Mullan, Lore Alford and Boies. Allen & Couch.
In the fall of 1876, on account of failing health, H. B. Allen dropped out of the firm of Boies. Allen & Couch and the practice of law altogether, and there- after engaged in less congenial and enticing, if not less profitable pursuits.
With the history of the Black Hawk County Bar from the end of this period up to the present time, its growth in membership, the names of the gentlemen who compose it, its high character, reputation and achievements, I am not so familiar. That will form an interesting and instructive chapter by itself and I leave this pleasant task to someone more competent to perform it.
I will say, however, that from the time of my first knowledge of it, down to the present time, the Black Hawk County Bar as a whole has enjoyed the reputation of being one of the most able, honorable and successful in Iowa. This fact is attested by the number and character of its membership that have been called to high and important official and business positions in the state.
Horace Boies enjoys the deserved reputation of being one of the ablest and most satisfactory governors the State of Iowa has ever had. Buren Sherman occupied with credit the positions of auditor and governor of the state. Charles W. Mullan discharged creditably and acceptably the duties of the high and important office of attorney-general and Gen. M. M. Trumbull and J. B. Powers those of district attorney for the Third Judicial District of lowa.
Cato Sells was appointed United States district attorney for the Northern District of Iowa under the administration of Grover Cleveland and is now United States commissioner of Indian affairs. Charles E. Pickett ably repre- sented his Congressional District in the National Congress. Lore Alford and Guy R. Feely occupied with dignity and satisfaction the speaker's chair in the lower branch of the State Legislature.
Of the members of the Black Hawk County Bar who have honorably and im- partially discharged the duties of district judge are Sylvester Bagg, Carlton F. Couch, James L. Husted, James H. Preston, Charles W. Mullan, Joe C. Elwell and Franklin C. Platt. H. B. Boies has recently been elected to that high office in the Ninth Judicial District.
O. C. Miller for many years after the dissolution of the firm of Miller & Preston was district attorney, embracing several counties in the central portion of the state, for the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern and the Chicago Great Western Railroad companies, and as such acquired not only an enviable distinction as an able railroad lawyer, but a competence upon which he is able to retire and enjoy for the balance of his life the luxuries which the semi-tropic climate of Southern California affords.
In closing I cannot refrain from paying a deserved tribute to the virtues and memory of one of the brightest members of the Black Hawk County Bar.
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the late E. L. Boies, deceased. In knowledge of law he stood second to no one in the state. Always courteous and affable to his associates, forcible, frank and honest in his address to the court, logical and convincing in his pleas to the jury, he won the respect, admiration and favor of all. In the presentation of his arguments to the Supreme Court of the state, his familiarity with the law and the facts, his deliberate and masterly arraignment of them, no less than his forensic eloquence, drew from the members of that high tribunal the heartiest meed of praise. Admired and beloved by everyone who knew him, his untimely death is deeply deplored by bench and bar alike.
CHAPTER XVI INDUSTRIES
WATERLOO'S PIONEER MANUFACTURER
For many years, in fact from earliest Waterloo down through the years, one of the most active and prominent of our business men has been George P. Beck, Sr. The story of his experiences in Waterloo since he first appeared in the village in June, 1856, has been one of the most varied character. It is a story of trials and struggles ; of victories won to be reduced to little good by subsequent misfortunes : perseverance undaunted and pluck which never gave way to despair, and of final triumphs which make his closing years of life on earth peaceful and happy.
George P. Beck was born in Bavaria on January 20, 1833 ; landed in Baltimore June 7, 1833. His father. Michael Beck, built the first canal in the United States, being the sub-contractor. It was the James River canal in Virginia. He made money and in 1837 went to Salina, Ohio, and built the reservoir five miles wide and fifteen miles long. This contract was completed in 1840, when he went on a farm, remaining until 1844, when he removed to Dayton, Ohio. George P. Beck was with him all of the time, but regards Dayton as his old home, as he was old enough at that time to form friendships and the strong links which bind the past to the present. He came from Dayton to Waterloo in 1856.
On his arrival here in June he went to work for Hosford & Miller in their sawmill. where he worked three years. He then bought out a man named Pickett, who was in company with Detlef Kruse in the boot and shoe business. He was with Mr. Kruse for several years under the firm name of Beck & Kruse. They made money and at the time of dissolving partnership they divided equally the profits, $13,000. They thought they had done well. But while in the boot and shoe business. Mr. Beck continued to work in the same mill and other mills, practically on the same ground, until 1897. M. H. Moore had bought out Hosford & Miller's mill business and Mr. Beck, when he quit boots and shoes, bought out Mr. Moore. He associated with him Henry and John Nauman and opened the mill as a sash and door factory under the firm name of Beck, Nauman & Bros. in December, 1864. The business was fairly started in 1864, but they had a rushing business in 1865, and in that year they bought the lumber yard of Henry Goodhue.
He continued in the sash, door and lumber business, but in 1867 bought an interest in the woolen mill which was run by Blasburg & Otter, Mr. Beck buying out Otter. The Blasburg firm had been running business principally on a small scale, doing carding most of the time. The new firm had larger ideas which they
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were encouraged in by the sheep industry and the woolen mill craze. upon which people at that time were wild, to enter largely into the manufacture of woolen goods. As a preparation for this they built a four-story building and equipped it with $18,000 worth of mahinery, the whole costing them about $30,000. He was in this about four years, of which the last two years it was just barely kept running in hopes of selling.
In this firm Mr. Beck represented really the whole firm. While running the woolen mill their other business, the sash and door trade, was making great money. It was equal in profits to the losses of the woolen mill. The losses through the woolen mill enterprise were $64,800.
On March 4, 1883, the Daniel-Nauman Company was formed, Mr. Beck being the company part of it. The new firm lost money during the first year, one loss being the destruction of the Commercial College Building, for which they were contractors, by a wind storm which struck it when up and ready for the brick vencer. The furniture store and warehouse was destroyed by fire on January 6, 1884, loss $22,000. The old mill on the dam, used at the time as a mattress factory, was destroyed by fire a few days later. On June 2, 1898, they had their great fire, when the whole factory plant was destroyed. The loss was $40,000. On all of these losses there was but $18,000 insurance. But the spirit of the firm and Mr. Beck was not broken and again they tried their venture and were successful.
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